Real Madrid took revenge on FC Barcelona in the “Clasico”. After the 4-0 defeat in the last showdown, the Madrilenians, for whom David Alaba played through in central defence, left the field with a 3-1 win on Sunday. This also resulted in a change at the top of the table. Real now lead by three points over Barcelona, who suffered their first league defeat after seven wins in a row.
Real got off to a good start and took the lead in the 12th minute. Vinicius Junior escaped the Barcelona defence, but was denied by goalie Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Karim Benzema converted the bouncing ball to the delight of the fans in the Bernabeu Stadium (12th). Federico Valverde made it 2-0 (35′) with a well-placed shot from the edge of the penalty area.
Barcelona never really found their rhythm. Star striker Robert Lewandowski didn’t come into his own either. In an aerial duel with ex-Bayern colleague Alaba, he got the Austrian’s elbow in the face. However, there was no intention behind the action.
Barcelona makes the final phase exciting
Real presented themselves as a hardened team for almost the entire game, the defense of the Madrilenians was brilliantly directed by Alaba. Only once was she overcome – after a cross from Ansu Fati, Lewandowski heeled the ball to Ferran Torres, who had no trouble inserting. The hosts survived the final Barcelona pressure phase unscathed, a penalty converted by Rodrygo brought the decision (91st). Before that, Eric Garcia committed a foul on Rodrygo during a Real counterattack.
“We are happy. Not just with the win, but also with the way we played. We knew we were going to suffer at some point in the game. But we defended well there. In the end it was an incredible afternoon in a packed stadium,” said Real Madrid player Luka Modric.
